Best Hubsan FPV X4 Plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020:

Among the models of the H107 series from the Chinese manufacturer Hubsan, the H107D + – also called X4 Plus FPV – has the distinction of providing real-time video feedback to the user, allowing immersion control via the screen of his remote control. Rather intended for beginners wishing to learn the basics of piloting, it however requires a little patience to tame it. The fact is that despite its docile airs, the beast has its outbursts of anger

Presentation

There are many quadcopters in the Hubsan catalog. The manufacturer indeed offers all kinds of models and a large quantity of mini / nano-drones which are only intended to amuse their owners and make them discover piloting, even racing and immersion flight. The X4 Plus FPV is one of the most advanced in the latter category, with its small integrated HD camera and its remote control with LCD screen which promises an interesting experience.

Best Hubsan FPV X4 Plus Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals & Sales 2020

1. Hubsan H107D+ FPV X4 Plus RTF Quadcopter with 720p HD Camera. Includes Controller with 4.3″ LCD

2. HUBSAN X4 AIR H501A Plus WiFi FPV Brushless with 1080P HD Camera GPS Waypoint RC Quadcopter RTF

3. Hubsan H107D+ Drone FPV X4 Plus 5.8GHz Altitude Mode Quadcopter with 720p HD Camera (White)

4. Hubsan X4 Camera Plus H107C+ 2.4Ghz 6-Axis Gyro RC Headless Quadcopter w/ 720P Camera RTF. Altitude Hold Function (H107C Upgraded version)

Getting started

With its matt white hull decorated with a shiny black part reminiscent of a windshield, the X4. FPV Plus has the air of an airplane of the future. This sleek design is associated with a neat construction, the device being entirely faired; no wires or pieces of circuit stick out. The finishes are not exceptional, however, but the device inspires confidence and seems quite robust.

On the other hand, we regret from the outset that optional propeller protections are not provided, for indoor flight in particular. Indeed, although the 52 mm diameter propellers fit well on the axes of the motors, they can damage the furniture in the event of an impact and be damaged at the same time. Fortunately, their replacement is very simple and you can always find compatible hulls at certain retailers for a few euros with spare propellers.

The drone is equipped with two blue LEDs at the front and two red LEDs at the rear to better identify its orientation in visual flight. These flashes when there is only 30 seconds of autonomy left.

No connection with a smartphone here, the drone is controlled with a radio control in radio link 2.4 GHz. The one supplied with the H107D + is fairly classic and the rigid plastic of which it is made is fairly low-end. This is not surprising, however, for a drone sold for just over a hundred euros “only”. We will not complain about that, because despite its basic construction, this remote control incorporates a 4.3 “(10.9 cm) LCD screen. The latter lacks a bit of brightness and its TN technology is synonymous with fairly low viewing angles (the vertical angle in particular), but its inclination somewhat compensates for this latter defect, again difficult to be too demanding at such a price level.

Flight

The H107D + incorporates small brushless brushes Coreless CL-0820 which ensure good liveliness. The device is quite responsive and we can start having fun when we manage to master it. Provided it lets us do it and we get used to its particular driving mode! Indeed, it is first necessary to ensure that it is roughly stable, which involves balancing using the “trim” buttons of the radio control: drone placed on a flat surface, it is necessary press each of the 4 trims in one direction and then the other until you hear a long beep. Neglecting this step is often synonymous with more or less pronounced drift of the drone, which can no longer be corrected once in flight – according to our tests. 

We have also happened to see joysticks inoperative in certain directions, implying a recalibration of these. Nothing very complicated, but the drone tends to go wrong and the operation becomes tedious when it must be repeated before a flight. More annoying, it was several times impossible to stop the engines from the radio control, which can become dangerous in certain situations.

After these annoyances which can notably put off a certain number of beginners, we discover a particular mode of control, precisely designed for novice pilots. The X4 FPV Plus is indeed stabilized in height and the joysticks of the radio control both have a return to the automatic center. 

In other words, whatever the control mode chosen, you can switch from mode 1 to mode 2 or even 3 when the radio control is switched on – the throttle always returns to the center and does not actually control the gases, but the height of the drone. A push upwards and the drone rises until the stick returns to the center, to then stabilize in height. 

Image quality and video feedback

The camera of the X4 FPV Plus is mainly designed to provide real-time video feedback to the pilot. Responsiveness prevails under these conditions. Satisfactory, it offers good control and allows rapid changes of direction. The camera is not too oriented towards the ground, which allows you to continue to see a little in front of the drone when it flies quickly.

The drone can record photos in. 1600 x 1200 px and videos in 1280 x 720 px on a microSD card. But the image quality frankly leaves too much to be desired to obtain an exploitable result. Even a recent entry-level smartphone would do better. The recording is therefore mainly used to keep some memories of theft.

Autonomy

Housed in the body of the drone, the LiPo 1S 3.7 V. 520 mAh battery is unfortunately in a proprietary format. We certainly gain in terms of finish and practicality to insert it into the drone – a connector is simply at the bottom of the housing (no need to connect it by hand and no visible wire) -, but it will be necessary to buy specific batteries and therefore not reusable in case of change of aircraft or to fly with another drone. This also means recharging it via the drone. Since it cannot be connected to a universal charger without having to use an adapter.

Charging is easy, since you only need to connect a charger to the micro-USB port on the X4 FPV Plus. However, it still takes more than an hour, which is long and inconvenient when you need to recharge several batteries. Especially since removing the battery requires a certain amount of skill – which does not however prevent it from leaving its housing alone during certain crashes.

Allow about 7 minutes of hovering with the X4 FPV Plus. Of course a little less if it is used a lot. A low battery alert occurs 30 seconds before the engines are shut down, a sign that you must land quickly or risk falling.

On the side of the radio control, you have to do with 4 AA batteries that you have to change often enough (about 1h30 of autonomy). his one being quite energy-consuming because of its screen. No possibility of using a battery, despite a mini-USB port on the side which could have been used for recharging – or for connection to a computer. Like the microSD card slot next door, this port is ultimately useless with the X4 FPV Plus.

STRONG POINTS

• Good responsiveness in controls and video feedback.
• Radio control with LCD screen provided.
• Immersion flight.

WEAK POINTS

• Obligation to calibrate frequently to avoid control problems.
• Brightness of the radio control screen too low.
• Low image quality of video feedback.
• Insufficient “Failsafe”.
• No hulls provided for indoor flight.
• Proprietary battery and weak autonomy.

CONCLUSION

If it seems simple to use, the X4 FPV Plus cannot be tamed so easily, requiring regular recalibration. The stability of the flight can thus become a little precarious. It is all the more unfortunate that once correctly adjusted, this mini-drone Hubsan is rather pleasant to fly.

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